


Tête-à-tête

by Insomniosa



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Rekka no Ken | Fire Emblem: Blazing Sword
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-23
Updated: 2018-08-23
Packaged: 2019-07-01 12:02:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15773715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Insomniosa/pseuds/Insomniosa
Summary: What if...





	Tête-à-tête

They seated themselves on a comfortable velvet sofa. The common room was pretty quiet since everyone else had gone somewhere else. Marquess Uther was having tea with his younger brother, Lord Hector, and there was not really much left for them to do than waiting for the latter's arrival. Sure, Lord Hector was not a big fan of formal courtly... "things," as he would put it, but both of them knew well that their lord would never turn down an invitation for a tea time with the Marquess. After all, Lord Hector had been wanting to drag his older brother off his study for some time. Even low-ranking subordinates who worked in Castle Ostia understood nobody worked harder than the Marquess, and at this point Lord Hector would just mindlessly received noble guests if that meant Uther would lift his nose from the piling papers. 

Regardless, the castle's common room did not lack when it came to pampering its occupants. Maidservants came in and went out simultaneously, carrying two big white plates containing fancy pastries with an elegant long-trunk silver tea pot complete with a pair of beautiful cups with floral motifs. Not long after everything was neatly set on the coffee table across the sofa they were sitting in, another maidservant came in with selections of jams with sugar, honey, and milk on the tray for the tea. 

"Lord Hector is being generous today," the seated man chuckled, reaching for the cup. 

"He always is," his female companion replied as her eyes gleamed with interest when the maids laid down all the delicacies before their eyes.

"Tea, Sir?" the maidservant adeptly responded when the seated man was about to get the tea pot.

He stole a glance at his female companion, who happily accepted a maidservant helping her with the pastries. The maidservant just broke a scone for her and was now asking her preference for the jam. "You know," he cleared his throat, "perhaps we can take it easy from here. Thank you very much."

The maidservants quickly assembled into a formal lining-up position before bowing and leaving the room.

His female companion casually spread some grape jam over the scone and began biting into it. "Well?"

"I'm not used to being served like this," he confessed. "And I thought you would prefer something modest too."

"Spot-on," it was her who chuckled this time, "but sometimes this would not hurt."

"Lord Hector does this often when the cook bakes more because of his tea time with the Marquess," he sipped into the tea. "I did hear Lord Eliwood is visiting, though."

"Then must be the reason why. He cherishes Lord Eliwood like his own brother," she eyed a delicious eclair on the plate. "But your expression was rather gruff. Old man."

"It wasn't," he retorted. "And I'm not actually angry. Who can be angry at being treated with the finest delicacies?"

"What if you can?" she teased again.

"What if I take this away?" he grabbed the eclair she was about to eat and held it in his mouth.

"Sly," she huffed, and made a sudden move to pinch his nose. He gasped, and she laughed. "What if I took my revenge?"

"What if I fortify myself ?" his hand quickly went down to save the eclair before it landed down and stained the Marquess' favorite sofa cover. 

"What if I just want that one and no other?" she was about to snatch the piece from him, but he switched the eclair into the other hand.

"What if I decided I wanted this just as badly and there are still a couple of eclairs on that plate, Leila?"

"Do you take me as someone who gives up easily, Matthew?" Leila laughed again, successfully stole the eclair from him this time.

"If Ostia's best spy said that, then it has to be a trap," Matthew shook his head. "Hey, that piece had my germs already."

"If Ostia's best agent said that, then it has to be a distraction," Leila smirked. "What if I want to exchange germs with you anyway?"

Matthew paused. Leila gave him a victorious smirk and brought the eclair into her mouth.

"... What if I know a better way?" Matthew took the eclair off her hand. His voice was soft, rather meek for the typical Matthew she had come to know.  _Oh, but they do not know THIS Matthew,_ she smirked again when his expression turned sheepish. He gently took her hand while his other hand began cupping her face. "What if I tell you how beautiful you are?" he murmured.

"What if I knew that already?" she smiled, sighing into his neck as his hand moved to tilt her face to look at him. 

"What if I share a little secret with you," he whispered as his lips began to find hers, "I don't kiss with my eyes closed because I want to savor this beauty."

"Cheeky," she muttered, tasting the kiss as their lips met. His gesture was nothing but gentle and appreciative, something that never changed since they began their relationship. It was as if he treasured every second that passed and wanted to make the most of every breath held. 

"Thank you," he murmured again as they slowly pulled away from each other to breathe.

"I did not know you liked being made fun of... or should I say, teased?" she parted the eclair in half and fed him.

"For approving my application to be your boyfriend," he swallowed the eclair. "You know what, this one tasted so damn good."

"Cultivated germs make the best seasoning!" she exclaimed, and he grinned. "And of course if not the same. I never wanted to fire you as a colleague from day one, why would I want to cancel your boyfriend-application after everything we went through together?"

"For starter, firing a colleague was never up to you because it would be on Lord Hector or his brother," he laughed, scooping a delicious macaroon as he spoke. "Your turn."

"About what?" she followed his footstep and preyed on another macaroon. 

"Share a little secret," he grinned again, "something I do not know yet."

"You're not ready," she teased again as her hand sharply tickled his ribs.

He made a sighing sound to note that he was actually pleased by her touch. "You said it yourself. Best agent in Ostia, huh? Then I'm ready for everything."

"Everything?"

"Everything."

They sat in silence as they basked in a contemplative atmosphere. She finished her macaroon slowly, and he did not take any other piece after swallowing his. But it was his time to follow her when she reached to get her cup. She dipped some honey for her tea, and he poured some milk for his. She put down her cup when she caught the twinkle in his eyes. "What?"

"It's just you. I mean, us. And I feel funny about this," he confessed.

"Why are you so sentimental today?" she teased again, but made a known gesture that he could pour all his heart to her and she would be there to attentively listen to him.

"That you and I are actually opposites," he smirked lovingly at her. "See, I never forget how you once said milk over tea is a war crime," his heart was filled with warmth when she laughed. "Yet somehow we always find each other. Again and again---" he wanted to reach his cup again, yet at the same time she did the same. "See?"

"Alright, I give up," she made a defeated motion and put down her now-empty cup. Her eyes were full of laughter though. "Let's see. What if I tell you that I actually have a piercing on my navel."

"For real?" he blinked. 

"Well, what if?" she smiled triumphantly. "Your turn."

He coughed. And another. "What if you..."

"Ha! How could a simple statement disarm you, Matthew?"

"... be my wife?"

"... What?"

"Well, what if?" he chuckled at her stunned expression. "... but what if, Leila?"

"Just because of the piercing question?" she turned away to watch the birds from the windows. Her sharp eyes caught a carriage leaving the castle. "Lord Eliwood is returning to Pherae."

"Well, I guess our free time is over," Matthew sighed. "Back to work, then?"

"Then you have to survive to propose."

"Leila---" Matthew stopped. "... then you have to survive to accept."

She simply nodded. It was not that she did not feel the tremble in his voice or the determined expression in those eyes; but... "Then we both have to survive."

"What if I propose to you the first time we get reunited?" he suddenly broke the silence.

"What if I beat you at that?" she smirked. "You said we would always find each other again no matter what."

He made another sighing sound before moving to envelop her in a tight, tight embrace. Feelings soared between them as she muttered a statement of commitment to him before resting her head on his chest. "... What if I take you here and now..." he whispered into her ears, and he immediately receive her reply,  _uncommon parting gift,_ followed by  _perhaps suitable for uncommon people like us._ "... Leila," he muttered her name again, helplessly, breathlessly, as his hand moved to undo her cloak.

Soft knocking on the door invaded their treasured private moment and Matthew stopped. Awkwardness loomed over them, and Leila cleared her throat as her hands started fixing her cloak. He quickly caught on, tidying his own shirt and combed his hair backward with his fingers. Neither of them spoke, but they assumed their professional bearing as if nothing happened in the room when Hector's face peeked in.

"Afternoon, friends," he swayed around, snatching a small pineapple cake on the plate. "Wow, that was blasting good. I'll have more baked for the tomorrow for Uther..." as if realizing he nearly missed something important, Hector reached into his under-vest pocket, drawing an envelope. "New mission," he said, "Leila, I need you to infiltrate the Fang to confirm the suspicion our reports told us so far... by yourself, because I have a different task for you, Matthew."


End file.
